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'Menace to society'
New York Post • • nation
Key Points:
- Oscar Belgal, an illegal migrant with alleged ties to the Trinitarios gang, terrorized his former Washington Heights neighbors with violent behavior, including brandishing a machete during a fight, according to residents.
- Belgal has a criminal record including a 2023 armed robbery conviction and a 2025 arrest for selling fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin; despite ICE requests, New York’s sanctuary laws prevented his earlier detention.
- ICE agents attempted to arrest Belgal in the Bronx in September, but he evaded capture until a recent confrontation where he accelerated his vehicle toward agents, leading to him being shot in the neck; his young son in the car was unharmed.
- The shooting sparked protests in Midtown demanding justice for Belgal and calls to abolish ICE, while some neighbors expressed relief that he was removed from the streets due to his dangerous behavior.
- After being treated at a hospital, Belgal was taken into ICE custody and transported to detention facilities in New Jersey and Brooklyn, with his legal situation ongoing.
